The essence of interactive design is the person-machine dialogue. It’s an exchange that exploits a growing range of compact, sophisticated technologies. But as contributors to this volume make clear, a critical challenge in this arena is determining how hardware can be transformed through design to give a valued human experience. Authors present visions of our interactive future. They critique current trends and products, including Web sites and high-tech medical equipment. They explore the frontiers of interface design. Above all, they share wisdom on the nexus between technology and the human spirit.

Articles

The Essential Human Dimension of Interactive Design
Thomas Walton

At the Heart of Interaction Design 
Lauralee Alben

Shake Hands with the Brand: Crafting the Message for the Medium
Kenneth M. Morris

Coming to Our Senses: Multi-modal User Interfaces
Douglas Talbott

What Is Interactivity?
Dan Boyarski

New Media and the Future of Interactive Devices
Phil Hood

Educational Challenges for the New Interactivity: Interval Research’s University Workshop
S. Joy Mountford and Bonnie Johnson

Logic and Imagery: Integrating the Intuitive and the Rational in Corporate Design
Alec Bernstein, Laura Robin, and Monika Zych

Designing by Wire
Wayne C. Chung

Web Design Analysis: Creating Intentional User Experiences
Terry Swack